4 8 



The Hifiory of B o o k I. 



SOAP-TREE. 



THere are two forts of Trees which the Iflanders ufe in* 

 (read of Soap : one of them hath this quality in its fruit, 

 which grows in clufters, round, yellowifh, and about the big- 

 nefsof a (mall Plumb, which hath alfo a hard black ftone with- 

 in it that may be polim'd : It is commonly called the Soap* 

 fruit : the other hath the lame vertue in its root, which is 

 white and foft : both of them lather as well as any Soap 5 but 

 the former ufed too frequently burns the Linen. Thefe Trees 

 are called the Soap-trees from the vertue they have to whiten 

 Cloaths. 



The ARCHED IN DIAN-F IG-TR EE. 



THe Arched-Indian-Fig-Tree is a Tree thrives beft in fenny 

 places, and on the Sea-fide : Its leaf is green, thick, and 

 of a good length : the branches which bend down to the 

 ground, no (boner touch it but they take root and grow up in- 

 to other Trees, which afterwards produce others, fo that in 

 time they fpread over all the good ground they meet with, 

 which is by that means fo hardly reducible to bear other 

 things, that it will yield no profit : under thefe Trees the wild 

 Boars,and other beafts are fecurely lodg'd. They are alfo in ma- 

 ny places the lurking-holes of the Inhabitants of the Iflands, 

 who having garrifon'd themfelves within thefe Trees, defie all 

 enemies: There is further this great advantage made of them, 

 that there being no Oaks in thefe Iflands, their bark is good for 

 Tanners. 



GOVR D-TR E E. 



^"[Ormay we forget the Gourd-tree y of which are made the 

 J_\l greateft part of the Houftiold-velTels, ufed not only by 

 the Indians, but the Foreigners who are Inhabitants of thefe 

 Iflands : 'tis a Tree grows up to the height and bignefs of a 

 great Apple-tree 5 its branches are commonly well-loaden 

 with leaves, which are long, narrow, and round at the extre- 

 mity,faften'd by bullies to the branches, and fometjmes (hooting 

 out of the trunk it felf: It bears flowers and fruits moft moneths 

 of the year ■> the flowers are of a greyilh colour mixt with 

 green, and full of fmall black (pots , and fometimes violet : 

 they are fucceeded by certain Apples, whereof there can hard- 

 ly be found two on the fame Tree of equal bignefs, and the 

 fame figure 5 and as a Potter (hews the excellency of his Art by 

 making on the (ame wheel, and of the fame mafs of clay, Vef- 

 fels of different forms and capacity j fo Nature {hews here a 



miraculous 



